Animation Nation

Are you in the mood for watching a hand drawn masterpiece of a music video? Then follow this link to the AN Forums and enjoy "Thought of You" by Ryan Woodward. It's a beautiful homage to love and will move your soul, to say nothing of the brilliance of the concept and the animation. The draftsmanship behind this film is remarkable and inspiring. In this age of the dominance of computer generated animation, it's great to watch a film produced by such a skilled human being. Kudos to Mr. Woodward for this amazing work of art.

For some it sure seems that way. At AnimationNation, we believe that it's important to be aware of subjects that supplement what we experience creatively. For many years we sponsored a popular Side Topics Forum that encouraged the community to engage in discussions that challenged us outside of the animation realm.

Today, with the new system we're using, there's a Current Events Forum that features subjects ranging from the economy, to politics, philosophy, science, the news of the day, just about anything you can think of. It's a good way to educate oneself as to what's happening in the world in addition to animation.

Follow the link to AN's Current Events Forum to see the wide range of topics that are showcased on a daily basis.

News is coming in from Comic Con of some fresh animation trailers for what we can expect to see later in the year.

Check out what the great Bruce Timm has been up to. First with the new Green Lantern animated series coming to Cartoon Network this September. And a special treat, the collaborative effort with Conan O'Brien continues with The Flaming C.

Frank Miller's latest creation Holy Terror is scheduled for release on the 10 year anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.

There's also a trailer for the retrun of Beavis and Butthead, as outrageous as ever, even moreso than before when they were happening in the early 1990s.

If you're looking for a site that caters to the interests of aspiring animation artists, take note of Animation Career Review.

It looks to have started early this year. It's full of articles, interviews and links to schools, software and technology, all kinds of info that's helpful to animation students and working pros. Well organized and professionally maintained.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's past caught up with him after it was announced that he was going to the central character of a brand animated series to debut next year. Unfortunately, the scandal that erupted involving his personal life in fathering a child by a woman other than his wife during his marriage rocked his world and the prospects for the series.

None the less, there's the trailer that we can always look back upon and wonder, what if...

Follow this link to the AN Forums to see the trailer for 'The Governator' animated series, and also check out the video of Arnold as he promotes the series only a few weeks before it was cancelled.

Long time ANer Rob Lamb posted a great topic in the Forums today, featuring John Celestri's Batman commercials produced in the late 1980s for a Canadian toy retailer.

John also has a history with AnimationNation, being a member of our forums from years ago. Now he has a blog of his own that showcases his remarkable work as an animator spanning a career of more than 35 years in the business.

Head on over to the General Discussion Forum to see several videos of the Batman commercials John created for Zellers, and follow the link that Rob posted to John's blog to read his account of the production.

But lately, Disney films are more like also rans when it comes to feature animation. They still produce great movies, and they certainly have the capacity to do anything they want at any level they want. But it seems to me that just may be the problem. It seems like they don't want to. There doesn't appear to be the burning, overwhelming desire to consistently produce truly great animated entertainment that's beyond what anyone else would do.

Their latest effort, the 'Winnie the Pooh' movie which was released in the US last Friday, had a poor showing of only $8 million, placed sixth overall among the top box office films for the weekend, and was even outdone by Pixar's 'Cars 2' sequel which had been in release four weeks already.

Animation is worldwide, and great feature films are being produced all over the globe. Here's another one we can look forward to. 'A Monster In Paris' is being produced... where else? In France. Bibo Films is the production company along with several others including Eurpoa Corp and Walking the Dog.

It's a 3D-animated movie set in Paris in the year 1910 and centered on a monster who lives in a garden and his love for a beautiful, young singer. Very reminiscent of Phantom of the Opera, it looks to be a retelling of the classic story through the contemporary animation process. Its release date is scheduled for October 19 of this year. It will likely open in Europe prior to the US.

Meanwhile, take a look at this website for more images and concept art from the film. Also check out the topic we're maintaining on the Forums to see some trailers. They're very impressive.

The annual Comic Con in San Diego, California is a huge affair. The event attracts more than 100,000 people and has been growing in popularity every year. This year however, there are signs that perhaps the Con has gotten too big for some to participate in and enjoy. The overwhelming crowds, the long waits, the effort that it takes to engage in the event is turning some people away.

As the Con takes place this weekend, I ask the rhetorical question... Is it worth it?

Follow my commentary on the AN Forums and feel free to add your own perspective on the subject. If you're not registered for the Forums, follow this link for more information about how to establish an account with us.